


Diplomacy

by Missy



Category: Aladdin (1992)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Humor, Married Couple, Politics, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-09-07 03:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8780944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: Aladdin's first time sitting in on Agrabah's High Council proves to be a chore - until he recognizes himself in the face of a young plaintiff.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ravelqueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravelqueen/gifts).



> Or Aladdin and Jasmine get stuff done; happy Yuletide, I really hope you like this treat!

Aladdin wasn’t entirely sure why the palace’s daily meetings had to be so long. He’d been through a thousand arguments about who should put which stand in the market in which area, several disputes over camel rights, and one complaint about improper sand disposal.

“But,” said Jasmine, “We live in a desert. There’s sand everywhere…”

“That doesn’t mean you can just throw it around all willy-nilly!” the elderly woman insisted. “My bread’s been ruined!” She held up a large round of fry bread, which rained sand like sugar across the marble floor of the high council. 

Aladdin liked this woman, not that his opinion counted for anything when he was so new to the job and most of the advisors remembered him from his time as a petty criminal who grabbed what he could to keep his soul and body together. Jasmine sighed and between herself and the rest of the high council thought up a fair price to replace the woman’s bread for the next couple of days. Her neighbor – just as poor as she was – received a strong talking-to about shoveling out his back room before the case was sealed. It was then that Aladdin let out a long, jaw-crackingly wide yawn and Jasmine reached over and squeezed his hand, sympathetic to his boredom. 

“Having fun?” she asked.

“A blast,” Aladdin said dryly.

“I know you’d rather be out among the people helping them with your own two hands, but this is a pretty important part of keeping everything going,” she said. “Because we’re doing this work, the people have a fair voice in their community, and everyone can be heard.”

This women knew him so well – too well, Aladdin thought wisely, and it’s only fair after he’d tricked her with his sultan act. She tossed back her hair and rested her cheek on his shoulder.

“Just another ten minutes, and then we can take a nice long ride on Carpet.”

He smiled at the idea. The head vizar called for the next case, and then from the small crowd of citizens waiting by the high arched entranceway of the court strolled a young man of roughly twelve years. His eyes were sharp as they connected with Aladdin’s, and he wore his tattered clothing like a shroud of righteousness. His chin tilted upward and his eyes flashed like lightning as he spoke in a thin voice.

“Sultan Aladdin, Sultana Jasmine – I come from the slums of this town! We your people demand better food at a more reasonable price!”

Aladdin’s eyes brightened up and he leaned eagerly forward in his seat. Had he been this child’s age, had he possessed more faith in the system, these were the words he would have spoken to Jasmine’s father. Jasmine beamed with pride as his eyes flashed and a plan began to percolate in his mind. 

The new vizar tugged on Jasmine’s sleeve and whispered a few furious sentences into her ear. She smiled, shook her head. 

“I think,” She said serenely, “we’ll leave this one to Aladdin.”


End file.
